Airport TSA Terrorist Screening

The media looks at the TSA’s tactics, but not the strategy. Think!

First, the TSA tactics stink. No one except the really, really lonely likes the TSA’s aggressive tactics.

Back scatter “x-ray” machine - The backscatter machine radiates you everywhere, every time you fly. Unhealthy radiation effects build up over time. Some of the most productive Americans fly often. Also, the TSA examples of their images that you see on TV are completely bogus. Actually, the images are high resolution porn. They can see hair, beads of sweat, and wrinkles - in great detail. And, they concentrate on your private areas because so much contraband is smuggled there. But, the backscatter can’t see inside body cavities, where drugs and weapons have been smuggled. So, a few terrorists with cavity bags get together after their trips to the airplane restroom, and it’s as if the TSA did no screening at all. Bombs and weapons on your airplane.

“Pat Down” frisking - Only a tyrannical socialist government would subject its own law-abiding citizens to the invasive fondling of all body parts, and then tell them it’s their patriotic duty to stand there and take it, while an entry-level bureaucrat feels and squeezes everything. These actions, done to our wife in the coffee room at work, or to our kids in school, would land the fondler in jail. But, we have to stand there while that same performance happens to our wife and our kids at the airport.

Second, the TSA strategy stinks even worse, because it ignores the best tactic. Back up and review the choices:

1. Intrusive searches - (radiation or fondling) of all our wives and kids, using objectionable tactics that even the TSA admit does not work. The TSA admitted it after rigorous questioning by a knowledgeable reporter. Or,

2. Give up - and just let the terrorist kill us in our own planes, whenever they please, until our economy (and our faith in our own country) grinds to a halt.

Strategy choices #1 and #2 give the terrorists (subhuman, evil, murderous animals) victory. Let’s try something better. Something proven to work.

3. Behavioral profiling - One airline is the #1, top, most coveted target for the terrorists. Israel’s El Al. After the first hijacking to Entebbe 30 years ago, El Al decided to do anti-terrorism the best way, with no problems since then. They do behavioral profiling, which means that consider everything they see. This lets them quickly narrow their attention and aim their limited resources at the most likely clues. They look at gender, ethnic appearance, and age, but only a little. Passport history, background search, and photo matches also matter, but only a little. Their main behavioral profiling tool is the physical behavior of the passengers. They watch, interview, watch some more, and interview some more. But, it takes special people to do this so well. These are highly educated, very experienced law enforcement using proven techniques. They sort through the herd of passengers, and quickly, expertly, find and cut out the wolf. They are so good, they stay ahead of the terrorist, instead of always trying to catch up. They are pro-active instead of reactive. They succeed.

In other words, El Al is exactly the opposite of the American TSA strategy. TSA strategy is to use tactics that hurt us, while staying behind the terrorists, El Al strategy is to quickly leave the law-abiding public alone, while staying ahead of the terrorists. It works.

Meanwhile, the American media largely ignores this vital strategic choice in our war on terror. Instead, it concentrates on the negative feelings generated by our intrusive tactic. Then, the media sighs and considers giving up as the only alternative tactic.